The Nordoff and Robbins Northern Music Awards have announced the winner of the inaugural Industry Icon Award as Michael Adex, the man who helped to launch Aitch’s career.
The news comes as the shortlist for Inspirational Venue of the Year is also announced – featuring some iconic venues from Manchester as well as other cities and towns in the north of England – and as nominations for the Festival of the Year remain open.
Michael Adex, founder and CEO of Manchester-based talent management company NQ, is the first-ever winner in the Nordoff and Robbins Northern Music Awards, launched this year to champion the breadth of musical talent across the north of England.
The inaugural awards ceremony, supported by Ticketmaster, will take place right here in Manchester on 30 November, at Aviva Studios (formerly known as Factory International), before moving to a different northern city each year.
Melanie C has been announced to perform and to receive a Special Recognition award.
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The awards will raise money to help fund the opening of a new Nordoff and Robbins dedicated music therapy centre in Salford.
Awards categories range from Newcomer of the Year to Artist of the Year, Band of the Year, DJ of the Year, Maverick in Music, and Festival Of the Year (you can still nominate your favourite with The Manc here).
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Michael has been recognised for his tireless work to showcase emerging musical talent from the north, including, of course, Moston-born BRIT-award winning rapper Aitch.
NQ’s management, label, and publishing arms have surpassed three billion streams and eight platinum certifications since Michael founded the company from his bedroom in 2017.
He went on to create NQ Legacy, a not-for-profit helping young creatives from The North to explore careers in music and the creative arts sectors.
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Northern Music Award Industry Icon 2023 winner, Michael Adex, said: “It is a great feeling to be recognised by the Northern Music Awards as their first Industry Icon. There is so much amazing, diverse talent in the North and I’m proud that NQ is playing a part in letting the world know about it.
Michael Adex has received the inaugural Industry Icon award in the Northern Music Awards. Credit: SuppliedAitch. Credit: Publicity picture
“The North massively deserves to have its own awards show to highlight the rich heritage and wealth of musical creativity that comes from here. Nordoff and Robbins has created a long-term legacy with the Northern Music Awards to bring more music therapy to isolated communities, this is inspirational, and I am excited for their new centre to open in Salford.”
Nadra Shah, director of engagement and communications, Nordoff and Robbins said: “We are thrilled to honour Michael Adex for his enormous contribution to the success of so much thriving musical talent emerging from the North. Fundamental to the success of Michael’s artists – including the multi-award-winning Aitch – is their ability to connect with their audience.
“Our aim is to support and help to grow the eco system of Northern musicians whilst shining a light on the transformative work we do with music therapy, to connect with some of the region’s most isolated communities. We are immensely proud of the work we do in the North, next year we will be celebrating 20 years since we started delivering music therapy in Manchester.”
Also announced today is the shortlist for Inspirational Venue of the Year, across two different venue capacity categories, sponsored by Skiddle.
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Those nominated in Manchester include YES, Night & Day Cafe, and Band on the Wall.
Inspirational Venue of the Year (under 500)
Brundenell Social Club – Leeds
Future Yard – Birkenhead
Night and Day – Manchester
Trades – Hebden Bridge
Yes – Manchester
Inspirational Venue of the Year (Under 2,000)
Albert Hall – Manchester
Band on the Wall – Manchester
Barbican – York
City Hall – Newcastle
New Century Hall – Manchester
Jamie Scahill, head of marketing at Skiddle, said: “Skiddle is incredibly proud to be supporting the inaugural Northern Music Awards and sponsoring the Inspirational Venue of the Year award. The grassroots venues of the North deserve to be recognised as they underpin the Northern music scene and culture.
“Skiddle was conceived in an independent venue in Preston 22 years ago and we have been supporting them ever since. We are grateful that Nordoff and Robbins are coming up North and we look forward to working with them for years to come.”
Nordoff and Robbins will be sharing half of the proceeds from Skiddle’s sponsorship of these award categories with registered charity Music Venue Trust.
Beverley Whitrick, chief operating officer, Music Venue Trust said: “Music Venue Trust is delighted to see Nordoff and Robbins celebrate the vibrancy of the music scene in Northern England with these new awards. The inclusion of the Inspirational Venue category, which acknowledges the importance of grassroots music venues to artists and audiences, is wonderful to see and MVT is thrilled to have been invited to be part of this by Nordoff and Robbins.”
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The NMA judging panel has also selected 19 events for the Favourite Festival of the Year award shortlist, including Liverpool’s Sound City, Cheshire’s Blue Dot, Yorkshire’s Deer Shed, Stockport’s Moovin and Lancaster’s Highest Point, with the 20th to be decided by audiences from The Manc, The Hoot and The Sheff.
Premium tables for the awards themselves will be available to book in advance – to register your interest, please contact the Nordoff and Robbins team here.
Featured image: Supplied
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Westlife at Co-op Live, Manchester – stage times, setlist, tickets and more
Daisy Jackson
Westlife are bringing their 25th anniversary tour to Manchester this October – and demand has been so great, they’re doing THREE nights at the Co-op Live.
Fans of the Irish pop group can look forward to a night of nostalgic singalongs, soaring ballads and some of the biggest hits of their 25-year career when Westlife arrive in Manchester for their Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour.
The original Manchester announcement featured a single show, but a rush of demand saw additional dates added – Westlife are now set to spend three consecutive nights at Co-op Live.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Manchester concerts, including dates, tickets, support, setlist, and how to get to the arena.
When are Westlife playing Co-op Live in Manchester?
Westlife are scheduled to perform at Co-op Live on the following dates:
Friday 23 October
Saturday 24 October
Sunday 25 October
All three shows are part of the Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour, celebrating the group’s milestone anniversary with a set built around their best-loved songs.
The venue lists a 7pm show start, with general admission doors opening at 6.30pm. Earlier entry is available for certain premium and hospitality ticket holders. Check the timings on your own ticket before travelling.
There are still some tickets available for Westlife’s gigs at Co-op Live.
On Friday 23 October, tickets are priced between £61.20 and £123.75, with a few more options for resale – you can see the latest availability HERE.
Ticket prices for Saturday 24 October are the same as above, with the latest availability HERE.
And Sunday 25 October has the best availability of all, with tickets for £61.20, £101.20, £112.20, £123.75, £141.35, and £151.85 still on sale HERE.
Who is supporting Westlife?
Singer Ana Sky is listed as a support artist for the Manchester shows.
The Los Angeles born alt-pop singer-songwriter has gone from a career in biology to international stages, topping the charts with her song King of Hearts.
Her emotional anthem Sleeping Without You has also amassed nearly one million views on YouTube.
What songs can fans expect to hear?
Westlife’s anniversary tour celebrates the songs that made them one of Ireland’s most successful pop groups, from late-1990s favourites to more recent releases.
Based on the reported setlist from their Cardiff show on 19 October, Manchester fans can look forward to a strong selection of familiar hits.
World of Our Own
Uptown Girl
Bop Bop Baby
What About Now
When You’re Looking Like That
What Makes a Man
I Have a Dream
I Lay My Love on You
Starlight
Queen of My Heart
Chariot
Fool Again
If I Let You Go
My Love
Unbreakable
Mandy
Flying Without Wings
Hello My Love
Encore
You Raise Me Up
Swear It Again
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
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Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
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For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Sam Fender to play TWO massive Etihad Stadium gig in Manchester next year
Daisy Jackson
Sam Fender has announced two massive stadium gigs in Manchester for next summer as part of a new UK tour.
The Geordie singer-songwriter will be performing at the Etihad Stadium in July 2027, along with huge venues in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin.
He’ll also be performing two nights at St James’ Park in his home city of Newcastle.
Support on all of the UK stadium dates will come from the critically acclaimed British alt-rock band, Wunderhorse.
Sam Fender released his number one selling, critically acclaimed third album People Watching in 2025, which went on to earn him the 2025 Mercury Prize.
He debuted People Watching’s ‘Rein Me In’ alongside Olivia Dean at his London Stadium Show last summer, later releasing it and setting new records, with 23 non-consecutive weeks at number one.
Rein Me In featuring Olivia Dean became the longest running number one single in British history, and took the Brit Award for Song of the Year.
Sam Fender teased the announcement earlier this week on Instagram, with a video that showed him dressed as a Lord of the Rings character ‘lighting the beacons’ across the country.
Posters were also suddenly plastered all over Manchester, including taking over the biggest screen in the city at Victoria Warehouse.
The last time he performed here, it was a headline slot at the Live From Wythenshawe Park gig series, with support from Olivia Dean.
Sam Fender will perform at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on 15 and 17 July – tickets will go on general sale from 9.30am on Friday 30 October HERE.
You can also pre-order his fourth album to access ticket presales.
Sam Fender UK and Ireland tour dates in full
3 June – St. James’ Park, Newcastle
5 June – St. James’ Park, Newcastle
10 June – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
18 June – Wembley Stadium, London
20 June – Wembley Stadium, London
1 July – Marlay Park, Dublin
8 July – Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Daisy Jackson -
10th August 2023 
